The Randori Stone
by GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: A convict locked away, falsely imprisoned, with the culprit having ties to Slade. When it’s discovered that Slade has ties to the murderer, Robin’s pushed over the edge. Will he commit the unthinkable? Eddie Hurst is from DC Comics. NOT AN OC!
1. Chapter One: Prison Transfer

**The Randori Stone**

Special thanks to Darth Nat for being my beta reader.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans, Eddie Hurst or Court TV.

_A convict locked away, falsely imprisoned, with the culprit having ties to Slade. Stories of a mysterious Randori Stone. When it's discovered that Slade has ties to the murderer, Robin's pushed over the edge. Will he be pushed far enough to commit the unthinkable? Based off Detective Comics 788 and 789._

**Chapter One: Prison Transfer**

Things were tight at Jump City's Maximum Security Prison; tighter than usual. Rumors swirled that they were getting a new prisoner sometime during the next week. The guards were nervous. Any time they received a prisoner, it was usually some super powered monster or psychopathic maniac. They hoped that wouldn't be the case.

They stood rigid with nervousness as they watched an armored car pull in through the front gates. The guards weren't sure who or what they were about to see as the two police officers pulled a cuffed man out of the van. They braced themselves for the worst.

What they saw surprised them. They were anticipating a madman like Brother Blood, or a monster like Plasmas. What they saw was neither. Instead the prisoner they laid eyes on was a gigantic brute of a man whose arms were as thick as their waists. His shoulder length hair was a dark black, and his eyes were blue gray, like the sea. He towered above them and was as tall as Starfire. The mere size of him sent shivers down their spines as they walked up to escort him to his cell.

The guards glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. Why was this man here? Who was he and why did they feel so nervous around him? They escorted him to a room where they gave him another prison uniform and check his files to see who he was.

They looked up his file. As the information appeared on the screen the guards' mouths dropped beneath the fiberglass faceplates on their helmets. The information said that his name was Eddie Hurst and that he had been charged with murdering his wife and two coworkers at his place of employment, one of Gotham's seediest clubs. It said that he was on Death Row at Blackgate and was to be transferred to Jump City's Maximum Security Prison.

A Death Row inmate in Jump City? Why send him here of all places? Had Gotham's jails suddenly become so overcrowded that they needed other places to send their lowlife scum to rot? The two guards, only known as Seven and Eight to those inside the prison, escorted Eddie Hurst to his cell.

The hulking man hadn't said a word since he arrived. He just walked over to the small window and stared out of it in silence. He didn't do anything; he just stared out the cell window like a dead man.

Eddie Hurst didn't even try to think at all as he was escorted into his new "home". All he hoped for was an appeal and perhaps clemency from the government. Not that anyone cared about him. He was a wife killer, a dangerous murderer. They would let him die.

He had heard that the D.A. was reopening his case for some undisclosed reason, but then things had happened that had made the situation even worse. And well…he didn't want to think about that right now. He just wanted to get out of there… Not that he could actually do that, of course. Due to his shady past and misdeeds, his current home was locked down even tighter than Gotham's prison. He guessed that they knew what had happened.

He sighed sadly. Although everyone else thought he was a heinous monster, he knew the truth. The truth about what had happened to his wife and the other coworker the night they were killed. He knew the truth and no one believed him. They just arrested him without proper investigation. He accepted that there was no real justice anymore.

But not everyone thought that way. He knew one man who knew the truth about what had happened. Maybe that was why they had transferred him: so the D.A. wouldn't be able to reopen his murder trial. So that he wouldn't be able to prove that Eddie Hurst wasn't a monster. But the World's Greatest Detective was far, far away. Now all hope was lost.

Eddie Hurst wouldn't let his face show a shred of emotion as his guards observed him for what seemed like an eternity. He refused to let them see him for what he really was: an innocent victim of John Cole's cruelty. He let them see him as a cold, heartless murderer. He didn't have the heart to care anymore. It didn't matter what anyone thought about him. He had tried to tell the truth, but they had never believed it.

* * *

Robin paced up and down within the confines of his cramped bedroom. Scattered about were newspaper clippings of Slade, along with articles of the Teen Titans' achievements. But Slade wasn't on his mind today. Something else was bothering him and it had a name: Eddie Hurst.

Robin knew very little about this man who had murdered his wife and two coworkers at the Cobra, a seedy nightclub where he had worked as a bouncer and security guard. What he knew was rather sketchy. Events in Gotham weren't exactly his concern, although he kept tabs on a few things. But what did worry him was that Hurst had suddenly been transferred just as the D.A. Just was reopening his case. Recently, he had escaped his prison and struck out on a murder rampage that had left two homicides and a dead judge in his wake.

But the Batman had stopped him, and it seemed that Eddie Hurst had just vanished into thin air. Apparently, he had been caught again and this time they moved him to a different prison.

It also disturbed him that they had transferred him from Blackgate prison to Jump City. Now Jump City had its share of freaks and weirdoes, but murderers were another thing entirely. That was something that Gotham was notorious for, but Jump City was relatively peaceful in comparison.

Robin picked up the newspaper and looked at the headline: NOTORIOUS GOTHAM MURDERER EDDIE HURST MOVED TO JUMP CITY'S PRISON. Robin continued to read the article with growing interest. He flipped through the pages, taking in all the information he could. Jump City's paper didn't cover a lot of events that took place in Gotham. He didn't like the idea of having someone so dangerous behind bars in his city.

"Robin?" a voice interrupted his train of thought as Robin continued reading the article. He looked up and saw Starfire standing in his doorway. He smiled slightly, looking at her.

"Hey Starfire," he said. "What's up?"

"Robin, do you not wish to 'go breaking' with us? You have been in here for hours."

"Uh, take a break, you mean, Star." Robin looked at the newspaper. "I've had some things on my mind lately,"

"If you are obsessing over Slade then I must say that you should—"

"It's not Slade this time Star, it's something else," Robin interjected quietly. "It's not about him at all."

"What is it then that has made you so worried?" she asked in a curious voice.

"Let's go into the living room. I want to talk to the others about this. It's very important," Robin and Starfire walked out of his room shutting the door behind him. Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing videogames while Raven sat reading one of her books as usual.

"Hey guys, I need to talk to you all about something," he called out loudly, getting their attention. Cyborg paused the videogame and Raven looked up from her book.

"What is it Rob?" Cyborg asked.

"Something has come to my attention; something very important that I need to tell you about."

"What is it?" Raven asked.

"Jump City recently had a new prisoner transferred here from Gotham City."

"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good," Beast Boy said.

"His name is Eddie Hurst," Robin began to explain. "He's a Death Row inmate." Beast Boy's mouth dropped open, and Cyborg took the newspaper out of Robin's hands.

He began to read it. "He was a bouncer at a nightclub?"

"Please friends, I do not understand. What is this 'bouncer' you speak of?" Starfire asked.

"A bouncer is a guy who keeps track of a nightclub. He basically stands outside and decides whether or not to let certain people come into the club," Robin explained.

"Then why is he on Death Row?" Raven asked.

"It says he's a triple murderer," Cyborg said, pointing at the page. "That makes me nervous."

"Me too," Robin replied. "Cyborg, did you ever see anything about Eddie Hurst on the news before this?"

"I think so," Cyborg replied thoughtfully. "I think I remember seeing something about his trial on Court TV."

"Can you pull up anything on it? I want to know everything I can about this man so if he escapes we can catch him."

"I can try. I'm sure it shouldn't be too hard tracking down information, especially on my computer." Cyborg walked over to the terminal where the Titans computers were located and began typing in commands.

"Didn't that article say that he murdered two cops and a judge?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes," Robin replied.

"So that makes it six people then?"

"Yes, but the courts are still arguing over whether or not they should execute him for murdering his wife or the three others he killed." Robin watched as information came up on the screen. "Does it say why the D.A. reopened his case?"

"It's kinda sketchy, but it says something about evidence that wasn't used during the trial," Cyborg looked at him. "When did he break out of jail and kill those other people?"

"He broke out just as the D.A. was about to reexamine his case," Robin read the newspaper.

"Well, this'll catch your interest Robin; it says the Batman caught him after he escaped.

"Hmm…" Robin frowned. "That's very interesting… Does it say why he's being transferred? It's not exactly clear in the paper."

"It doesn't say why, it just said on this site that it was necessary," Cyborg replied.

"So is this Eddie Hurst guy a threat to the city? I mean, he's a murderer," Beast Boy asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'll keep an eye on it. I wouldn't put it passed him to try and escape again," Robin said. He looked at something on Cyborg's computer desk.

"Hey Cyborg, what's that?" he asked, pointing to what looked like a helmet with a visor covering the face of it.

"Oh, this," Cyborg answered. "It's part of a virtual reality program I've been working on."

"Virtual reality? When did you start this?"

"Oh, about a month ago. Right now I'm creating a program that will replicate the entire city into the computer's mainframe so that if you just put that on and virtually walk around in the city without having to leave the Tower at all."

"You can actually do that?" Robin asked.

"Well, not quite yet," Cyborg replied. "The program still needs tweaking. I was thinking about using it for when we train. If we train in virtual reality then it will be easier to do when we actually need to."

"So we could train in virtual reality?" Beast Boy asked. "Dude, that's awesome!"

"But what about walking around? How do you know where you are? How do you know when you put that on you won't run into a wall?"

"Don't worry, you'll be sitting the whole time," Cyborg said. "But it's not ready yet, but it should be done in a week, then we can try it."

"Uh Cyborg, how are awe supposed to train if we're sitting down?" Robin asked.

"Well, it's not really training as much as orientating ourselves to being able to get from one part of the city to another in case of an emergency."

"But don't we do that already?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, but being faster wouldn't hurt either," Cyborg commented.

"Well, let me know when it's finished," Robin said. "If you'll excuse me, I need to make some calls." He walked out of the room.

Cyborg looked at Beast Boy. "Wonder what that was all about."

"Raven, why do you think they sent the Eddie Hurst here to our City when the Gotham City could surely hold him there?" Starfire asked.

"I have no idea Starfire. I don't understand the logic behind it either," Raven looked up. "For some reason I have a bad feeling about all this."

"Yeah, me too," Beast Boy said. "But we can take this guy down right?"

"Let's hope we won't have to," Cyborg said. He continued researching Eddie Hurst for Robin, all the while unsure if the 'security' of Jump City's maximum-security prison would really hold a mass murderer behind bars.

* * *

Robin walked over to the phone in his room. He picked it up and dialed a number. He really didn't like the idea of calling her, but he knew it was necessary. He dialed the number. She wasn't exactly fond of the Batman or Robin; he didn't want to bother Bruce.

"Hello, who is this?" the receptionist asked.

"This is Robin. I need to speak to Janet Van Dorn."

"She's not exactly fond of you kid," the receptionist said.

"Just patch me through, please. I'd appreciate it."

A few minutes later, Janet's voice came over the phone. "You know I don't exactly agree with what you're doing, Boy Wonder," she said tensely. "What do you want?"

"I need to know everything about Eddie Hurst's case."

"I'm not allowed to say, young man. I'm sorry." She hung up on him.

"Very well," Robin said. "Time to call James Gordon." He dialed the number. He told the receptionist who he was and that he needed to speak with the Commissioner.

"Well Robin, what do you need to know?" James Gordon asked.

"Anything about the Eddie Hurst case…Evidence, trial manuscripts; anything that I can legally get a hold of," Robin said. "Think you can help me out without getting in trouble with the D.A.?"

"Sure, but why would you get in trouble with the D.A.?" James Gordon asked.

"I just called her," Robin explained.

"Oh. I'll send you what I can. It may not be much though."

"Thanks a lot Commissioner."

"You're welcome."

Robin hung up the phone. He had a feeling that there was more to Eddie Hurst's case than met the eye. And he decided he was going to find out what it was. Things were not as they appeared, and he had a distinct feeling of dread come over him when he thought about the whole situation. It was time for him to do some investigating of his own.


	2. Chapter Two: Criminology

**Chapter Two: Criminology **

Robin paced up and down in his room, impatiently waiting for the package that Jim Gordon had sent him. He'd been keeping an eye open for mail for the past three days, but nothing came. He walked back to his desk and began shuffling papers pertaining to the Eddie Hurst case, trying to fight off his frustrations. His investigation was going nowhere.

The door opened and he looked up to see Cyborg walk in. "Robin, I hate to bother you, but you have visitor."

Robin saw the familiar frame of Commissioner Jim Gordon standing in the entrance.

"Commissioner Gordon! What are you doing here?" Robin asked, very surprised.

"I came to bring you the evidence you requested…and to talk," Jim's face was stern. He wondered why he decided to come to Jump City to see him.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

Gordon looked at him. "Mind joining your friends in the living room?"

"Sure," Robin said, exiting his room quietly.

Robin walked with Jim Gordon into the main room of Titans Tower. Cyborg followed him to where Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven were waiting. They sat down quietly. "Titans, this is Commissioner Jim Gordon from Gotham City. Commissioner Gordon, this is Beast Boy, Raven and Starfire." The man nodded, he shook their hands as he joined them on the couch. Robin waited for the Police Commissioner to speak.

"I brought what you asked for Robin," Jim Gordon began, "But I need to know exactly what you need them for. I'm not comfortable handing over crucial evidence in a murder trial to a minor."

"I want to do my own investigation of Eddie Hurst's trial. I'll need all the evidence I can get."

"I'm just not sure if I should give you the evidence Robin. Now I've watched you work for years, and I respect you, don't get me wrong. But maybe you should leave this one to the Batman. This isn't exactly your arena. This is police business."

"With all due respect, Commissioner, I've been trained by the best," Robin stated simply. He didn't want that to go unnoticed by a man who was an experienced law officer.

"I understand, but as I stated earlier, you're a minor. The D.A. could have my head for this. She plays by the books. You're not even old enough to vote, how do I know that you can handle a murder investigation at your age?"

"Dude, if we can handle Slade, we can handle this investigation," Beast Boy said angrily.

"Beast Boy, apologize to Commissioner Gordon. I respect him as an officer of the law having worked in Gotham City." Beast Boy hung his head and said nothing. "I understand your concerns, Commissioner but I am obligated to protect this city."

"I've never understood why this city entrusts its protection to children. What you kids do is dangerous."

"Excuse me, Sir," Starfire said softly, "But when you say we are 'children' does this mean that we cannot investigate the Eddie Hurst because we are too young?"

"Yes, involving children your age in a murder inquiry is something I wouldn't want to risk," Gordon replied. "Kids your age complicate the situation. I know you have good intentions, but I don't think I can let you do this."

"We're teenagers, Sir. Not children," Cyborg interjected.

"So I gather," Gordon retorted. He looked at Robin. "The reason I brought what you asked for is because I didn't know why you needed them. Now I do, and I want proof that I can trust you and your friends with confidential information."

"You have my word, Commissioner," Robin promised. "If anything happens to the evidence, I will take full responsibility. I'll do everything I can to protect the city. If you decide that I'm not able to handle this investigation, then I won't ask you for anything else. But I will continue what I started, even if you don't help me."

Robin paused for a moment, "I hope I haven't offended you, Sir."

Jim Gordon's stern face broke into a smile for the first time. "You are like your partner, I'll give you that. He always follows his own agenda, with or without me." He put a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Well, I'll tell you what Robin, you carry out your investigation. I've done everything within legal boundaries so I know I'll sleep well tonight. If I would have said no you probably would have called Batman anyway."

"Thanks for your help, Commissioner. I guess I owe you one," Robin smiled.

"You know Robin, to be honest with you, when you first appeared in Gotham, I was very wary of you." Robin looked startled for a moment. Gordon paused for an instant, and then continued. "I didn't like the idea of a child becoming involved with Batman's war on crime. I didn't like the thought of someone so young…putting himself in harms way like you did."

"I could understand a little, why Batman does what he does, but I could never understand what drove you to follow him. You're in the prime of your life, and when you'd work with Batman, it seemed almost like you were throwing it away for a rush of adrenaline. It seemed that you were like a junkie who only did it for the thrill afterwards. I felt that you didn't take it seriously. I think that's why I didn't like you very much."

Robin didn't know whether to feel praised or insulted. He remained quiet, concealing his emotions. His face was a study of composure. The Titans on the other hand, were astonished at this news. They waited in silence.

"But…as the years went by and I watched the way you worked with Batman, I realized that you were like him in many ways, and that this was something you took very seriously. I realized you had…I don't know, the will I guess to keep going.

"No matter how hard it got, whether it was the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler or Two Face, even when they knocked you down you still got back up. You showed a lot of guts back in Gotham, kid." Jim chuckled softly. "Besides, six years seeing you time and again made you to grow on me. Now I'm actually starting to like you."

"Thank you, Commissioner. That's a lot…coming from and you. I don't hear that every day."

"You're welcome kid. So, let me show you what I brought you." Jim Gordon removed a package from inside his coat. He opened it carefully and removed its contents.

"I have more in my car," he looked at the Titans. "These are the photos taken at the crime scene. It's pretty graphic."

"Let me see them," Robin took them from him. "I…I…I've never seen anything so horrible before," he said hoarsely. "What did he do to them?"

"He butchered them with his bare hands," Jim Gordon explained. "They were in the homicide division. Fine men they were, close friends of mine. We…we worked together for years," his voice choked as he struggled to compose himself. "And now they're gone, God rest their souls…Just like that."

"I'm sorry Commissioner," Robin replied.

"Ah, don't worry about me. I can't let my emotions interfere with duty. I brought the pictures of his wife and coworkers for you."

Robin handed the other photographs to Cyborg. He stared at the most horrific images he had ever laid eyes on. There was blood everywhere. The looks on the faces of the dead were gazes filled with pain and terror.

The bodies were caked in blood, dry and sticky. It trailed paths down their eyes and noses. The red fluid stained the street and the walls. How could one man do this to six people?

Starfire stared at the images, stunned. She knew the atrocities that Slade was capable of. He had sent Terra in as his mole to destroy them from the inside. She had seen what he had done to Raven, nearly destroying the world, but nothing had prepared her for what she saw. It was almost too much for her to take at once. She felt nauseous.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to go to my car. I have more for you." Jim Gordon got up and walked out of the room.

"Robin…Are you sure you want to do this? He's right, you know, we are just kids." Beast Boy commented.

"Beast Boy, Commissioner Gordon trusts me with this evidence. If he didn't think it could handle this he wouldn't have come here."

"But isn't this a little…advanced for you?" Cyborg asked.

"Cyborg, I've done investigations before," Robin answered; then he said have to himself, "except I was always with Batman."

Cyborg looked at him with interest. Robin didn't talk about Batman much. In fact, he didn't even mention him except on rare occasion when he talked about his fighting techniques or detective skills.

"So are you gonna do this all by yourself?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, no, I'd wear myself out," Robin laughed. "I'm going to need you guys to help me."

Commissioner Gordon opened the massive door and walked inside. "Well Robin, here's the rest of it. Hope this'll help."

"Your guys couldn't find anything else?"

"We don't handle this stuff. We leave that to the C.S.I. guys."

"I see. Who was the officer who conducted the investigation?"

"Detective Harvey Bullock conducted the investigation. He wasn't very happy about it. He was quite angry that Batman hadn't stopped Hurst before it happened."

"I thought Bullock didn't trust Batman," Robin commented. "He didn't think the city needed his help."

"He still holds that opinion. But he says he should have been there, just the same."

"Well, Commissioner, what do you have for me?" Robin asked.

"I have the shirt that belonged to Eddie Hurst's wife, a bloody shoeprint, and the damning evidence that put Hurst on Death Row, his blood stained clothes."

"Where did they get these?" Robin took the air sealed evidence from Commissioner Gordon.

"G.C.P.D. discovered it when they searched Hurst's house."

"And the shoe prints?"

"Also found in the house."

"Is that all?"

"Just one last thing: the trial manuscripts," Jim Gordon handed him a large stack of papers, "Hope you enjoy reading, it's really long."

"Don't sweat it, Commissioner. I'll have plenty of time to read it."

"I think it's time I'd better be heading back to Gotham," Jim Gordon said. "I'll keep in touch and see how things are going."

"You don't have to leave so soon, Commissioner. You're welcome to stay," Robin smiled at his longtime ally from Gotham.

"Sorry Robin; gotta get back there. I'm still on duty." Jim smiled. "Let me know if you find anything." Jim Gordon got up from the couch and looked at Batman's partner with a sense of pride. "It's time to let Gotham's Finest get to work; I'm getting in the way of your business."

"Thanks for dropping by," Robin smiled. "This means a lot to me."

"See you around kid," Jim Gordon saluted and walked out of the room.

"Let's get to work guys," Robin said determinedly. "We've got quite a bit to go through."

"So where do we start?" Cyborg asked.

"Cyborg, you said you had a virtual reality program you were working on, right?"

"Yeah, sure did. I still need to tweak a little bit more. Like I said, it won't be ready 'til next week."

"Could you get that done in three days?"

"Three days!" Cyborg gawked at him. "You're not serious!"

"I am. If I can't go to Gotham in person to search Eddie Hurst's house, then I'll go in virtual reality. I can get blue prints of the model of his house off the internet. I'll need you to build me a 3-Dimensional model of it so I can go inside and look around."

"So you can go to his house without actually going there? Will it work?" Beast Boy asked.

"It should, I have enough crime scene photos for Cyborg to reconstruct his house in our computer."

"What should we do?" Starfire asked.

"Starfire, can you and Raven go to the Library and look up newspaper articles concerning Eddie Hurst's trial?"

"Of course," she replied. "Do you want me to go now?"

"If you wouldn't mind. Raven, can you research the three other victims of Hurst's murder rampage?"

"Sure," Raven replied. "Come on, Starfire," the alien nodded and the two headed out the door.

"Dude, what should I do?"

"I'm going to need you to smell some of the evidence," Robin replied. Beast Boy gave him a funny look.

"You're expecting me to _smell_ that stuff? You're kidding! Dude, that's disgusting!"

"Beast Boy, you can morph into a dog and smell the evidence. That's easy enough for you to do. Besides, I need to make sure you know what Eddie Hurst smells like so we can track him if he escapes."

"Okay Dude," Beast Boy morphed into a bloodhound and began sniffing around the evidence.

"Beast Boy, you can't smell anything through a plastic bag." Robin carefully opened the tightly sealed evidence. "Now smell it. Beast Boy continued sniffing and smelling, making sure he had the scent in his memory.

"So Dude, what are you going to do?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm going to look at the transcript for Eddie Hurst's trial," Robin replied as he began reading. The trial had lasted a month and the prosecution had presented a strong case. They had said that Eddie Hurst had perpetrated the murder of his wife and two coworkers, attacking them as they walked outside the club where they had worked.

The defense said that Eddie Hurst was away at the time of the murders and that he had a legitimate alibi. They said that Hurst loved his wife very much and would never harm her in any way. The prosecution responded with the evidence taken from his house. They used the shoeprints and the blood on his wife's shirt, claiming that Eddie's bloodied fingerprints were all over it. Robin put down the transcript.

"I'm going to take a look at the shirt and the shoe print," Robin said, standing to his feet. He took the evidence from Beast Boy and walked into his room. He began rummaging through some cabinets that he had placed in his room. He kept some much needed equipment in his room, although Cyborg's high tech equipment was located in the main room, that wasn't what Robin wanted. He needed some luminal.

Luminal was what forensic scientists used to show where blood was located, even if it had been cleaned up by the perpetrator. Often, it was used to look for D.N.A. at crime scenes. Now he was going to use it to see if he could find any connection to Eddie Hurst.

Batman had taught him forensics when he was in training. It was part of what Batman was, a vigilante and a detective. Robin had put forth all his detective skills to search for information on Slade, but he hadn't been able to discover much. Whoever Slade was, he kept his personal information on tight security.

Robin quietly went over to a drawer and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves. He removed the lid from the luminal and pulled the shirt from the plastic seal. He sprayed the luminal on the shirt and quickly switched off the main light and turned on a blue light. Florescent blue light illuminated certain places on the shirt where blood was. The glow would only last about 30 seconds.

He peered down at the shirt and spotted a clear, non-smudged fingerprint that was on the side of the shirt, as if someone had grabbed the person from the side. He frowned, that didn't make sense. According to the prosecuting attorney, Eddie Hurst attacked her from behind. And this print was on the side of the front of the shirt, not the back. Robin quickly grabbed some chalk and used it to cover the fingerprint so he could use the fingerprint's residue to have the fingerprint on hand in case he needed it.

He also decided to use Cyanoacrylate, aslo known as superglue to find more fingerprints. He placed plastic over the clothes, creating an airtight seal around it. He then insereted the warm Cyanoacrylate through a neeedle into the plastic, he then took the shirt out into the kitchen.  
It would only reveal fingerprints after it cooled.

"Nobody touch this!" Robin said to Cyborg and Beast Boy. "This is going into the fridge." They gave him confused looks, but said nothing. He placed the evidence in the freezer, he'd have to wait awhile before the cyanoacrylate would becme solid so he could remove it to have a sample of the fingerprints.

Robin's insight into the criminal mind was very keen. He had extensive training and intuition. From what he knew about this case, the evidence seemed to pinpoint Eddie Hurst as the murderer. But there was something, deep in the corners of his mind that told him something didn't fit. He wasn't quite sure what it was. The bloodstained shirt showed that the victim had been brutally murdered. It wasn't easy to convict or clear a man of a crime. He knew that it took more than one piece of evidence to condemn a man to death. He would have to examine the shoeprints and the photos again

He sighed and walked back to his room. This investigation was far from over. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair. For the first time, he wondered if he was getting in over his head.


	3. Chapter Three: Guilty as Charged?

**Chapter Three: Guilty as Charged?**

Robin looked up from his studies as Starfire and Raven walked into the living room. "Hey, you're back. Did you guys find anything?"

"Our mission was quite successful," Starfire replied.

"We were able to get a hold of the papers published during Eddie Hurst's trial," Raven said, handing him a stack of old newspapers. "It's quite a lot, but it should be enough." Robin looked at the headline:

Molly Snow Prosecuting Attorney Victorious in Hurst Case, Judge Leroy Williams contemplates Death Penalty.

"It seems they got what they wanted…" Robin began scanning the article. "It's the same thing I've read in every article that concerns Eddie Hurst: the bloody fingerprint on his wife's shirt is what nailed him down as the perpetrator. But…it doesn't make sense."

"Why wouldn't it?" Cyborg asked from his place at one of the computer terminals. He was feverishly working to complete his virtual reality program so Robin could use it to investigate the Hurst murder case. He was almost finished, but the program wasn't ready.

"I don't see anything about witnesses," Robin replied. "A crime like this can't go unnoticed. He murdered the two women in broad daylight, according to the prosecution."

"What makes you think the witnesses are too afraid to come forward?" Cyborg asked.

"The Gotham Police Department posted a reward at a ridiculous amount for anyone with information leading to the murderer's capture. On top of that, they offered the person who would give them this information police protection. That'd be a good reason for a witness to step forward: reward money and protection, just for the name of the killer."

"I think I found something about a witness to the murder," Raven pulled up the _Gotham Insider,_ "'Kelly Witnesses Murder of Hurst's Wife in Street.'"

"Wait a minute, what was that lady's name?" Robin asked.

"Kira Kelly," Raven replied.

"I'm gonna write that down," Robin said, scribbling the name down on a piece of paper.

"Why?"

"Because when Eddie escaped from Blackgate he went after all the people who had put him behind bars, he murdered Judge Leroy Williams and the officers who were on their way to protect him, and if that's true about Eddie Hurst wanting to murder anyone who had to do with putting him away, Kira Kelly would be at the top of his list, and I think she's the only one Hurst didn't kill in his murder spree."

"I wonder how she survived," Beast Boy said. "That Hurst guy got everybody else didn't he?"

"The Batman came in time to stop Hurst," Cyborg spoke up. "I remember it from that website."

"How's that virtual reality program coming?" Robin asked.

"I'm almost finished. Just give me a couple days," Cyborg said. "It'll take awhile to upload all those photographs and turn them into three dimensional images. That's the part that will take the longest because of all the programming."

"I see. Well, I have to go check on something," Robin said, "It's time to get that shirt out of the freezer."

"What?" Starfire asked. "I do not understand. You put a shirt in the freezer?"

"And you did that because…?" Raven asked.

"I'll explain in a minute," Robin said, he walked into the kitchen and carefully removed the evidence from the freezer. He came back with the evidence.

"Okay dude, _why_ did you stick that in the freezer for a half hour?" Beast Boy asked.

The reason I did that is because I needed to wait until the Cyanoacrylate cooled."

Beast Boy looked at him. "The _what?_" he asked.

"B.B., it's the stuff that's used in superglue," Cyborg explained.

"You put superglue on a shirt, what's that supposed to do?"

"Well, it's supposed to show me if there are any fingerprints still on it."

"Will that prove anything?" Raven asked.

"It might, might not. I just want to match the prints with Hurst's D.N.A. This whole case doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"The evidence conflicts with the prosecution's testimony; at least, that's what I've found already."

"Like how?" Beast Boy asked.

"The evidence doesn't fit the crime," Robin said.

"Do you think he was set up?" Raven asked.

"I can't say for sure. The sooner Cyborg gets that virtual reality program done, the sooner I can re-enact the crime to see what might have happened."

"Well Robin, the programming is finished. Now all I have to do is upload those photos and create the program that we'll need to do the investigation."

"That's great. Will it take long?"

"Two days, at least," Cyborg said. "But once it's done all you have to do is put on the headsets and you're ready to go."

"Here's the evidence. He handed Cyborg the shirt, the shoeprint and the photographs. "Can you run a scan on the fingerprint in the Gotham Criminal Database; I want to see if it matches Eddie Hurst's. I have to go make a phone call."

Robin began thumbing through the pages of a Gotham phone book. He finally found the phone number of theAssistant District Attorney Elliot Foster. He dialed it and waited for the phone to pick up on the other line.

A receptionist answered the phone. "May I speak to Mr. Foster? This is Robin and I need to ask him some questions." He waited a few minutes on the line. A few minutes later, Eliot Forester's voice came on the line.

"Can I help you with something, Robin? I'm very busy."

"Did you authorize Eddie Hurst's transfer to Jump City?" Robin asked; such things did concern the D.A. because she had just reopened his case. There was a pause.

"Yes, at the request of Judge Wigzell."

"Why would Judge Wigzell ask for Eddie Hurst to be transferred?"

"He didn't say, he just said it was very important that I do so."

"Thank you Mr. Forester, that's what I wanted to know."

"Why so interested?" Forester asked.

"I'm investigating Eddie Hurst's trial."

"The D.A. told me you were meddling in police business. I can't say anything more, she'll have my head."

"Why is everyone against me when it comes to this case?" Robin's voice was filled with frustration.

"Listen kid, you're a minor. Now protecting Gotham City from thieves and extortionists is one thing, murder isn't your area. Leave this to the Batman. You belong in Jump City with your little Titans. You should keep your nose out of serious business like murder!"

"Mr. Forester," Robin said, gathering the last shreds of patience he could muster. "I'm trying to protect my own city. And to do that, I need all the information on Eddie Hurst I can get."

"I'm sorry kid, I can't help you; this isn't my problem. If it was, then maybe I would. Good day, Robin." The phone went dead. Robin pushed the off button and slammed it back on the receiver.

He stomped back into the living room. "Robin, what is wrong?" Starfire asked.

"My conversation with the Mr. Eliot Forester did not go over well."

"He didn't want to help us huh?" Beast Boy asked.

"That's basically it."

"So what's next?" Cyborg asked. "The program to create a virtual reality replica of Gotham is finished. It's just the specific place that Robin needs to investigate is not in the program."

"Did you run the fingerprints through the Gotham Criminal Database yet?"

"I'm running it right now, it's just that there are so many names that it's gonna take a long time to find a match," Cyborg said. "Don't you think you're taking this a little too seriously?"

"I do my best to protect this city. Of course I'm taking this very seriously! It's not every day we have one of Gotham's convicts transferred to our prison. He's still a threat to the city, and I intend to make sure he stays behind bars!"

"Calm down Robin, there's no need to shout," Raven said calmly.

"You guys don't understand, before I came here, I lived in Gotham City. It's much, much worse there than anything we've ever faced here except Slade. I'm not taking this lightly."

"We did not say that you are," Starfire said. "But we do not wish to see you act like you do when you become obsessed with Slade."

"I'm not becoming obsessed with Eddie Hurst, I just want to make sure the city's safe."

There was a knock at the door. Cyborg pushed a button on the keyboard and a man's face appeared onscreen. "Hello is Robin there?" he asked in a low voice. He was a blonde haired, medium sized man in his early to middle thirties and wore dark sunglasses.

"Robin do you know this guy?"

"Cash Tankinson?" Robin stood up. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on police business, may I come in?"

"I wouldn't want you to waste your time, officer. I'm sure you have things to do. Why didn't I see you here with Jim Gordon?"

I had business to attend to."

"I see."

"What's this I hear about Eddie Hurst being transferred to Jump City?"

"You've probably read all about in the papers, Mr. Tankinson. He arrived here today."

"And what are you going to do about him?" Cash asked.

"I'm not sure right now. So what'd you come here for?" Robin asked.

"I came to give you a message," Cash said.

"Message? What kind of message?" Robin said, his eyes narrowing.

"There are some people in Gotham who don't want little boys interfering with matters that do not concern them."

"I am _not_ a little boy!" Robin shouted.

"I'm sure you aren't but you're clever enough. I would stay far, far away from the Hurst case, Robin. You're in over your head this time."

"You hardly know what I'm capable of."

"Perhaps, but curiosity killed the cat. If you'll excuse me, I must be getting back to Gotham."

"Good day to you, Officer Cash." The screen went blank.

"I wonder what that was all about." Robin looked up at his friends. They seemed puzzled by the whole thing themselves.

"So do you see that guy often?"

"No not really," Robin said. "It's getting late; I'd better be getting to bed just in case the alarms go off." The rest of the Titans nodded. A full night's sleep was rare and elusive when it came to crime fighting, and going to bed early did help somewhat. They all prepared to get a little sleep in case of an emergency.

Robin shut the door to his room. His eyes fell on a picture of Kira Kelly. He noticed the look on her face was of smug satisfaction.

The _Insiders' _headline glared at him. "'Kira Kelly Witnesses Murder of Hurst's Wife in Street.'" he didn't know why, but the picture of Kelly sent a shiver down his spine. He shut off the light and lay down.

He wondered for what would not be the first time if he could handle this case and prove to himself and the Gotham Police that he was as great a detective as the Dark Knight. Doubt was gnawing at his mind. Cash's warning still rang in his ears. He pondered what it meant and why the Gotham P.D. wanted him to stay out of the investigation.

His thoughts brought him back to the same dead end, and he closed his eyes. The puzzle wasn't fitting together, and it all had the makings of a cover-up. But Robin had no idea if it even was a cover-up; and if it was, he didn't know what anyone would have to hide. He let himself sleep, trying to put these thoughts out of his mind for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Gotham Police Officer Cash Tankinson walked briskly away from Titans Tower and out to a waiting ferry. The Ferrier carried him across the waters to Jump City. The policeman paid him and disembarked.

He continued making his way deep into the heart of the city. Finding a taxi service he gave them a certain address and the cab took him there. Climbing out he paid the man. It was near the Jump City airport. Instead, he ducked into a dark alley, glancing only with his eyes he made sure he wasn't followed.

Cash sprinted quickly through the streets, weaving his way towards an abandoned warehouse. He remained an elusive shadow, unnoticed by anyone. He arrived at the building and pushed a button, opening the door, he walked inside. Standing in the darkness, he remained silent, waiting. The lights suddenly flashed on, revealing the rest of Officer Cash Tankinson's features.

He was a tall man with a strong build. His muscles were tense, ready to act. He was a man who was determined and strong willed. He stared up at a monitor on the wall. He watched as the guards of Jump City's Maximum Security Prison walked passed Hurst's cell.

He scanned the other monitors which showed the outside of the prison, the courtyard and the stone walls that kept the criminals incarcerated. Everything was going according to plan, Hurst was here and locked away, and he was expecting a very large check in the mail.

Cash removed a remote from his belt and pushed a button, turning the lights off again. Smiling broadly and removed his sunglasses. His stern face was hard and cold, like that of a man who had been in the army, maybe a Lieutenant. A small smile crept across his face and his lone eye gleamed white in the darkness. Slade Wilson chuckled to himself.

"Robin, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. You've gone in over your head and by the time you learn the truth, it will be far too late to stop it."

* * *

Eddie Hurst sat alone in his jail cell, staring out at the moonlight. He could only think of the life he had before the murders, before the pain and suffering. He could remember his wife's smile, her laugh, her voice. All the wonderful memories he cherished with her was all that was left of the life he had lived.

"I've got troubles, Lord, but not today," he began to sing softly. "They're gonna wash away, they're gonna wash away." He remembered the song on the radio. He'd heard it a lot when he came to work at the Cobra every morning.

"I've got sins, Lord, but not today," he continued. "They're gonna wash away, they're gonna wash away." He stopped for a moment, waiting for an angry inmate to swear at him and tell him to be quiet through the walls. There was only silence.

"And I have friends, Lord, but not today, 'Cause they done washed away. They done washed away."

"Lord, I've been crying alone. I've been crying alone. No, no more crying alone, no, no more crying here." His low base voice sang in a quiet, sad tune."We get lonely, Lord, but not today. Cause we're gonna wash away, we're gonna wash away." He got up and he knew it would be lights out soon. He pulled the covers open on his bed and went over to the small sink to brush his teeth and wash his face.He finished the song quietly. "I got troubles, Lord, but not today. Cause they're gonna wash away. This old river's gonna take them away…"


	4. Chapter Four: Virtual Reality

**Chapter Four: Virtual Reality**

Eddie Hurst awoke early the next day. Washing his face, he stared at himself in the mirror. He saw his guards walk up to his cell. "Come on, Hurst. It's time for breakfast." He let them escort him out of his cell and into the cafeteria.

He passed by other inmates, sitting in rows and rows of seats, eating food. One of the other guards walked over and plopped down a plate of food in front of him. He stared blankly at the plate. He began to eat quietly.

He saw another man sit down beside him. He was muscular with blonde hair and ice-cold blue eyes that pierced through him like a knife. He was a convicted murderer who had shot down a pair of officers after a bank robbery he had pulled. Now he was on Death Row with Hurst. He remembered seeing him on the news. His name was Max Frandsen.

"You're that Hurst guy from Gotham City, right?" he asked. Eddie did not answer him. This man was just another scumbag. Why should he pry into his business?

"Are you deaf, man? You don't wanna talk?" Max demanded gruffly. Again, he refused to talk. His defiance swept through the room like waves. The other prisoners turned their heads to face the table. They knew this could get ugly, and if there was a fight, they wanted to be in on it.

"I don't talk to pathetic trash like you," Hurst growled out.

"You think I'm pathetic, huh?" Max jumped up and grabbed him by his shirt. The guards were busy with something else and had left the room a few minutes before. Max yanked Hurst across the table and leaned into his face.

"I'm not some wussy little wife killer. The only piece of pathetic trash here is you!" Without warning, he slammed Eddie Hurst back against the wall and with astonishing speed, leapt over the table to smash his fist into his jaw. Eddie felt his adrenaline surge inside his body. He knew what was coming, he had experienced it before, a fight was coming, and he had survived a dozen others, now he hoped he would survive this next encounter.

He accepted the blow, numbing himself to the pain. He grabbed Max around his waist and slammed him into the table. Max Frandsen pulled out a homemade shank and slashed at Hurst as his fist connected with the other inmate's stomach.

Max gasped and grabbed Hurst by his shirt and lurching up, he tackled the former bouncer to the floor. Still grasping the shank, he thrust the weapon straight at his chest. Eddie pulled his arm into a vice grip and pushed him back with inhuman strength.

He sent Max flying across the room, smashing into the wall. He grabbed the shank, hurling it away from where he was and ran forward. He slammed his opponent into the concrete and pummeled him with a flurry of punches.

Suddenly, a pair of guards rushed into the room and grabbed him by his arms, attempting to pull him back. He threw them off and tried to grapple Max to the floor. Number Seven whipped out his baton and began sung at Hurst, landing a stinging blow to his back that sent shocks through his spine.

Stunned, he hit the floor. His eyes glanced up to glare at the officer.

"What happened?" Guard Number Eight asked.

"Hurst here tried to strangle me to death!" Max shouted. "He started it, the wife killing little—", he began to curse and swear expletives; calling Hurst every name he could possibly think of. Eddie just watched him in silence; he knew it was all an act to make him look like the innocent victim.

"I didn't do this, he started it!" he protested.

"Come on Hurst, back to your cell." They hulled him up on his feet and shoved him out of the room.

"We're the ones to determine that Hurst. Right now, we're shutting you away so you don't start any trouble."

Eddie Hurst swore angrily as he stumbled back toward the room. "I didn't _start_ anything. He did, I swear to God, I didn't do it!"

"Just shut up and get back in there, you lowlife piece of trash!" Guard Number Eight spat. With a hard shove, they threw him into his prison cell and locked the door behind him. He managed to stay on his feet and turned around.

"Weren't you being a little harsh?" Number Seven asked.

"Are you crazy? He's the scum of the earth; he probably started that fight and blamed Max Frandsen for it."

"That's what he said. You don't believe him do you?"

"Who; Frandsen or Hurst? We need to check the surveillance cameras to see what happened in there."

"We'd better go get that camera," Number Eight muttered. They headed down to the communications center control room where their surveillance cameras were sending constant footage of the inmates.

The man at the control panel looked up at them. "What's going on?" he asked.

"We need you to rewind to 012:15 PM on today's date on the camera that's placed in the prisoners' cafeteria. Something happened in there and we need to see it."

"Sure, whatever," the man said. Punching commands into the keyboard, he rewound the surveillance tape to the designated time on the cafeteria camera. The guards watched as Eddie Hurst was escorted to a nearby table.

_You're that Hurst guy from Gotham City, right?" he asked. Eddie hadn't moved yet, but they couldn't be sure he hadn't instigated the fight so they continued watching._

"_Are you deaf, man? You don't wanna talk?" Max demanded gruffly. Number Seven could see the defiant look on Hurst's face._

"_I don't talk to pathetic trash like you," Hurst growled._

"_You think I'm pathetic, huh?" Max jumped up and grabbed him by his shirt. They saw heads turn towards the table. Number Seven frowned. It seemed that Hurst wasn't lying. Max was aggravating the situation. But that didn't solve who started the fight._

"_I'm not some wussy little wife killer. The only piece of pathetic trash here is you!" They watched as Max Frandsen slammed Eddie Hurst against the wall. _

"Well, that problem's solved," Number Seven looked at his companion. "Looks like Hurst wasn't lying after all."

"He's just lucky we got there in time. If we hadn't been there they would ripped him to shreds."

"I know, how do you think he survived Blackgate? I heard a rumor he just got up and pushed down the walls of his cell and walked out of jail."

"Nobody can do that, it's physically impossible!" Number Eight protested.

"But I heard he got a hold of some kind of magical stone, and it made him all powerful."

"Ha, he's not all powerful now is he? He's stuck behind that door. And what's with all that magic stone garbage? It's an urban legend, a wives tale."

"You don't think hestill has this so called magic stone, do you?"

"It's a possibility isn't it?"

"Please, you've been reading too many tabloids."

"Batman had a hard time taking him down."

"Batman's practically invincible. Now way Hurst could off the Bat."

"Yeah, you're right, but what of all the rumors about the stone?"

"Like I said, it's the tabloids. They thrive on sensationalism. It's just something they made up to sell stories."

"I don't know. I just don't know…" Guard Number Seven muttered as they exited the control center.

"What? You think he's innocent? He killed his wife!"

"I don't know; the whole situation is strange."

"Don't worry about him; he's not your problem. He's not _anybody's _problem anymore. He'll rot in there until the feds send him to the chair."

"I guess you're right about that. The guards went back to their post, not giving Eddie Hurst another thought.

Eddie Hurst slowly walked over to his cell window. Placing his hands on the metal screen he looked through the small holes out at the dreary courtyard beneath him. He wondered if he would be punished for a crime he didn't commit, again. The system was the same, there was not justice anymore.

The so called superheroes were so consumed with fighting crime that they didn't even take time to think about whether or not their enemies were actually innocent. They were all self absorbed, idealistic fools.

However, Batman, the world's finest detective knew that he was innocent. He had told him the truth right before he exploded. Literally, his body had torn itself apart. Fate, God or chance was a strange puppeteer holding the strings of mortals' lives; deciding to send unfortunate souls to the grave, only to torture them by returning their soulsto mortality. He was somehow allowed to live, but why?

The police had caught him soon after his mysterious reappearance. Only this time, they didn't send him back to Blackgate; instead they sent him to Jump City. He remembered little after waking from his ordeal.

Since the federal government considered him to be deceased, his life was insignificant. He wondered why someone would send him to Jump City if the feds thought he was dead.

The realization hit Eddie Hurst like a load of bricks. Not everyone knew he was dead. His mind was filled with turmoil and he was confused. Running his hands through his messy dark hair, he stared out the window. What was going on and why was this happening to him?

* * *

"Good news, Robin," Cyborg said, typing commands into the Tower's mainframe computer. "The virtual reality program's finally finished. Now you can go to Gotham and do your investigation of Eddie Hurst without having to leave the Tower."

That's great, Cyborg. Now I can get to the bottom of this whole mess. You're a big part of this investigation you know. I couldn't do any of this without all of you."

"Anytime Robin, don't mention it. This virtual reality program was quite a challenge, but it'll be the most incredible thing you've ever seen. Put on the headset and try it."

Robin sat down at a terminal and placed the helmet over his head. "Not bad Cyborg, the Narrows looks so real I could convince myself I'm actually standing there with you." Cyborg also had a headset on and they were staring at each other in the middle of an alleyway on Narrows Island, a shady part of Gotham's Skid Row. It was located near Arkham Asylum.

"Now that we're here, where do you want to go?" Cyborg asked.

"To the Cobra where Eddie Hurst worked as a bouncer, we aren't going to walk there virtually are we?"

"We could, but that would take too long in real time. You didn't create virtual transportation did you?"

I did, but we don't have all day to drive around in virtual reality either. I programmed this GPS unit to send us anywhere in Gotham City if we punch in the coordinates."

"Good, take us where we need to go. You set up the scene exactly as it was, right?"

"Right down to the bloodstains on the wall, Robin. Everything is as it was during the actual investigation. I used the prosecution's testimony, along with the investigative reports from the Gotham P.D., the photos of the crime scene."

"Thanks, now let's get going."

Cyborg punched in the coordinates for the Cobra Night Club and Robin instantly found himself standing in front of the building. He looked to his left and saw Eddie Hurst's wife and the other coworkers lying prostrate on the ground. He walked over and began making observations.

"This is the exact way they were found right?"

"Yes, at least that's what I could tell from the photographs."

"That's strange. If Eddie attacked his wife from behind, the security cameras would have caught the murder on tape. Did the prosecution use footage from the cameras in his trial?"

"The trial manuscript didn't say anything about the cameras."

"Cyborg, can you make this crime scene disappear? I have a theory I want to test."

"Really? Sure," pushing the button, the scene vanished, leaving only an empty street. "The trial manuscript said that Eddie Hurst grabbed his wife from behind and snapped her neck in half. So," he gestured at Cyborg, "if you walk by the club and I grab you from behind," he watched as Cyborg began walking at a normal pace in front of the building, he began heading towards the door.

Robin walked up and grabbed him from behind, taking his neck into a vice grip and pretended to snap his neck, slamming him on the ground afterwards. Cyborg looked up, bewildered. "Warn me in advance next time when you're going to do that."

"That's exactly my theory, Cyborg. Eddie Hurt's wife was startled and it appears she died instantly. Pull up the crime scene again." Cyborg pushed the button and the outside of the building reverted back to the crime scene. "That's strange. The way I re-enacted it with you, the cameras didn't catch it, but the way her body's placed on the ground, the camera above us would have taped the footage."

"And the prosecution didn't use footage from the club's cameras in the trial."

"I'll have to contact the Cobra Nightclub and ask them what happened to the footage on the day Hurst's wife was murdered."

"Is there anything else you wanted to look at before we get out of here?"

"Yes, the evidence I've uncovered suggests she was attacked from the side. Would that be caught on a surveillance camera?"

"Most likely," Cyborg replied.

"Is there a way we can virtually check the security cameras inside the building?"

"Yeah, follow me," Cyborg led him into the club.

"It's a good thing you didn't render virtual people in this program."

"Why?"

"According to my research, Eddie Hurst and his wife worked in this club. He was a bouncer and she was a stripper."

"A stripper!" Cyborg exclaimed. "And you're talking to me like you're talking about the weather. So we're investigating who murdered a stripper?"

"Yes, we are. And yeah, I know, I know, her choice of work is disgusting, and her dignity is in the gutter. All the same, she's a person just like us," Robin said. "All the same, I'm glad you didn't render simulated people in here. Who knows what we'd be looking at?"

"Most likely half naked strippers," Cyborg quipped. Robin gave him a glare. "Oh, and people getting hangovers on alcohol."

"I see. Did you get the exact blueprints for this building?"

"Yeah, it took some digging and pulling strings, but I've got most of Gotham City's infrastructure uploaded into the program."

"Very good, can you take me to the control room?"

"Yeah, right this way, up the stairs and down the hall to the fifth door on the right and," he opened the door, "Wallah, here we are! The control room!"

"Let's rewind the video back to when we were outside the club." He punched in some commands. "I can't believe I'm doing this in virtual reality, anyway," he said, "here's the place, now let's take a look." He stared at the screen, sure enough; Robin could see himself coming at Cyborg from the side. He had tried this before they had gone into the club.

"If we can see ourselves on that camera, then what really happened on the day Eddie Hurst's wife was killed should be on that camera. Did you ever receive anything from the Gotham Criminal Database regarding Hurst's fingerprints?"

"I think so," Cyborg looked thoughtful. "Let's get out of the program and take a look at my encrypted e-mail."

Cyborg pulled off his headset. Cyborg pulled up the e-mail. "Good, it's here." He pulled up the G.C.P.D. file. "Robin, you're gonna freak when you see this."

"What?" Robin pulled off the headset. "What'd you find?" He stared at the screen. "That's…unbelievable!"

Robin stared at the computer screen before him. In front of him were two sets of fingerprints, side by side. Blaring before him, big letters revealed an astonishing result: NO MATCH. He turned and looked at Cyborg.

"Eddie Hurst didn't kill his wife. He's an innocent man on Death Row."

* * *

A phone rang in a dark room and an armored hand reached over and grabbed it. "I'm expecting my payment and you better have it!"

"Is this Mr. Slade? I hope I have the right number," the low voice said on the end of the line. "This number was…very hard to track down. I had to pull some strings but it appears that I have successfully contacted the right man."

"I don't have time to play games. I've traced this call and I know who you are. So where's my payment?"

"Relax Mr. Wilson, you'll be receiving a direct transfer to your account from an undetectable source so the feds won't even blink," the voice said smoothly.

"And this comes from the accounts of Mr. Cole himself? There is no need to hide behind false pretenses, Ms. Kira Kelly. I know who you are." Slade smirked.

"Ah, you are a smart man, Mr. Wilson. Mr. John Cole is quite pleased with your success. All he wants is for Mr. Eddie Hurst to disappear, and you've made that possible."

"The man still lives, I haven't made him disappear completely…Yet." Slade sneered. "Besides, his arrival was no secret. How could it be since it was in the papers?"

"_What?"_ Kelly demanded angrily. "The paper said he was coming there to Jump City?"

"Yes, I'm extremely surprised your John Cole didn't discover this sooner."

"That has made the situation much more complicated. Make the author behind the article…disappears permanently. John Cole will pay you double if you kill the journalist. The money's yours if you handle this little favor for him."

"Ms. Kelly, how I be sure that John Cole will keep his end of this bargain?" Slade demanded.

"Oh don't worry Slade, I have my ways. I assure you John Cole will make sure you are well paid for your services." The phone went dead. Slade had to laugh at Kelly's naivety. She had no idea what he was capable of. He knew she could easily renege on the so called contract John Cole had given him. He was going to make sure he was going to receive his payment. He had learned from the incident with Trigon that employers always had loopholes. He was going to keep thorough tabs on his boss from now on.

He walked over to a computer and sat down. He began typing commands into it. He smiled beneath his mask. She was playing a game with him and he knew it.

He was going to make sure that the odds were in his favor and that the pieces moved according to his direction. He would weave a web of deception so complex that John Cole and Kira Kelly would have no idea what he was planning or how to stop him when the tables were turned. He would relish the demise of his employers. This was going to be a game where the winner would take all…


End file.
